Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-03-09

tional traffic, or such traffic where the
home railways come in competition
with either water lines or railway lines
OF other countries, they have been per-
mitted, (due regard being had for no.
tice to the public, and that no frauds
are practiced and no determinations
exercised under the guise of interna-
tiOnal trafhcl to make special tariff
rates in disregard of the long and
short-haul clauses, and in regard to
the equality clauses, except in go far
as they may be applicable to the for
eign traffic alone.
Free competition in railway build
ing may be consistent with the exer-
else Of control which shall confineit-
self simply to fair dealing and to the
prevention Of discrimination both as
TO individuals and localities, but
surely no government in Europe has
ever yet exercised the right to pre-
scribe actual freight rates without az
fording, on the other hand, guaran-
tee against losses which are occasioned
by rates which are imposed by law
for the benefit of the public and at
the expense Of the investing interests.
European governments have also rec
ognized the fact that, in consideration
of the exercise of the right to prescribe
rates, they should secure an undis.
turbed field to therailway enterprises,
so that they may at least, by the de-
velopment of traffic, recover q loss in
actual and positive income occ asioned
by an enforced abatement OF rates Of
fare or freight.
SIN Prussia and France, notably, q
change in another direction has taken
place in recent years. An effort is
now being made to keep up the inter
national rates to the level of the local
rates, because in both countries the
protectionist policy has temporarily
obtained the upper hand in the polit-
ical councils of the nations, and in
times past the low International rail-
way rates have counteracted this pro-
tectionist policy, and as the tariff
went up the railway transportation
rates on foreign goods went down, and
this railway policy to secure the for
eigu traffic, notwithstanding the Gus.
toms tariff, has been prevented and
forbidden by contract in France with
the railway companies, and by Prus-
sian ministerial regulations since the
purchase of the railways by the state.
"Although my commission remitted
my inquiries to Europe, cannot re-
frain in this connection from drawing
attention to g. most instructive fact
in reference to the railway question
which has hitherto almost wholly es.
capped public attention.
at has frequently been said that
while in governments Of q monarchical
character, having, as is notably the
cracy, it is conceivable that owner
ship of the railway by the state may
work reasonably well, as compared
with the ownership by private enter
prise, yet that such ownership. involv-
ing an enormous additional patronage
to that which is incident to the or
binary functions of government by
the appointment of the very large per-
sonnet employed in railway enter
prlses, is wholly inconsistent with and
dangerous to the maintenance of free
institutions. The inference is drawn
therefrom that for any government
like the United States, the. officials of
which are elective and their tenure Of
office dependent largely upon the pop
ular will, either the ownership of rail
ways or their effectual control by q
central authority would SO add to the
power and patronage OF any political
party in office that it would be diff
cult to displace it, and would there
fore be menace to our form OF gov
eminent"